Virtual Adventures From Home

Week 3: Gardens, Parks and Woodlands

Compiled by: Caroline Scarles, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Getting online from your armchair

The following slides provide some links to internet sites that can be accessed using any

desktop or mobile device (computer, laptop, smartphone). Simply open up your internet

browser and copy the links, or click through directly from the links if your device allows.

There are also some suggestions for apps to download which are available both in the

AppStore and Google Play

360° Experiences of Parks Across the World

Longleat Safari Park, UK: https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/longleat-launches-virtual-safari

Northumberland National Park, UK: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/vr/

Central Park, New York, USA: https://www.youvisit.com/tour/centralpark

Crater Lake National Park, USA: https://findyourpark.com/get-inspired/crater-lake-national-park-360-tour

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, USA: https://www.kqed.org/arts/12223497/360-video-artist-jane-kim-illustrates-golden-gate-parks-entwined-ecologies

National Parks Across the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--OGJdFF_pE&list=PLhSHFY5MJryb-333gRPZ2br1hE7U3XqKS&index=165

Explore 5 USA National Parks at: https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/parks

These are just some suggestions, but if you search in google or any other internet search engine for virtual tours of parks, parklands, or other related words, a whole range of different options will come up for you to choose from.

Alternatively, select any of your favourite parks, or those you would love to explore and visit them using Google Earth. Start your search at: https://earth.google.com/web/

360° Experiences of Woodlands Across the World

Red Woods: Walk Among Giants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTlzIGFrL_4

Relaxing woodland walk, Norway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT7MGpCq9jQ&t=33s

Autumn walk in the forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeeQmnfarzQ

Capilano Living Forest Walk, Capilano Suspension Bridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIsw0ssIIKk

Pine Forest (static 360 video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-WpK_Lyr_Q

These are just some suggestions, but if you search in google or any other internet search engine for virtual tours of woods, woodlands, forests, or other related words, a whole range of different options will come up for you to choose from.

Alternatively, select any of your favourite woodlands or forests, or those you would love to explore and visit them using Google Earth. Start your search at: https://earth.google.com/web/

Virtual Tours of Gardens Across the World

Kew Gardens, London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioG_Vfh0Kxw&feature=emb_logo

RHS Wisley, Surrey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2WealAPZHU

Waddesdon Manor, UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyYuxTfdtKo

Hidcote Gardens, UK: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote/features/hidcote-virtual-tours

Monet’s Garden, Giverny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWx2WNXFF4

Royal Gardens of Versailles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wQlp24C5nA

The Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4viHcv7Rw_M

San Antonio Botanical Gardens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9JqMHTnark

Singapore Botanical Gardens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i76cJT7bYCQ

Huntes Gardens, Barbados: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJuhNpWMfdE

US Botanic Gardens, Washington: https://www.usbg.gov/take-virtual-tour

Chicago Botanical Gardens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV0Ryaw0hGc&feature=emb_logo

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtZ0dcUzGX8

These are just some suggestions, but if you search in google or any other internet search engine for virtual tours of beaches, the coast, the seaside, or other related words, a whole range of different options will come up for you to choose from. Alternatively, select any of your favourite beaches, or those you would love to explore and visit them using Google Earth. Start your search at: https://earth.google.com/web/

Webcams in Gardens, Parks and Woodlands

You can view live-streaming footage of gardens, parks and woodlands through a range of

webcams installed across the world. Try out some of the ones below:

The Wildlife Trust: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/webcams (This is a fantastic site with lots of different webcams in parks and reserves across the UK)

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Garden: https://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/animals-gardens/web-cams/

Tresco Abbey Garden, Isle of Scilly: http://www.camsecure.co.uk/TrescoAbbeyGarden.html

Redwood forest cam: https://explore.org/livecams/zen-den/live-redwood-cam-1 (this site has a great range of different webcams in a whole range of environments)

Audubon webcams: https://www.audubon.org/news/top-10-wildlife-web-cams (a whole range of wildlife webcams)

Timelapses – how does your garden grow?

Sunflowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-iPp6yn0hw

Strawberries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tNMJTvy7I

Flowers in bloom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjCzPp-MK48

Flowers and insects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cz6YFs3Qyc

Garden coming to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Uw2DJ9Md8

These are just a few examples of the wide range of videos (both 360 and fixed frame) that

are available on each of these activities. Have a look and see which ones appeal to you.

Timelapses – woodland wonders

Sunlight in forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fYTctvTCGg

Plants growing in forest (BCC, David Attenborough):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2RtDE9BBw

Trees budding and growing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImPJo6Nc9I

Four seasons in a forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfa29pq6NFs

These are just a few examples of the wide range of videos (both 360 and fixed frame) that

are available on each of these activities. Have a look and see which ones appeal to you.

A Birds and Bugs Eye View

Birds eye view of parks, forests and gardens:

Coed y Brenin Forest Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKlf8OQxtjc

Amazon rainforest, Bolivia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knx7RYNM2m4

Western Ghat rainforest, India: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSBmVDrxxvI

But, how do animals and insects see the world: A different perspective:

How do dragonflies see? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5XUdvBO_TE

Animals eye’s view – how do they see? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ss-nmT7oAA

See more at the BBC Animal Super Senses series on the BBC Earth YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BBCEarth

Adventure Sports in Parks, Gardens and Woodlands

Mountain Biking: foggy forest mtb (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWyBgudQqsI),

Whistler mtb park (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6DPb0szIXM), Ashton Court & Leigh

Woods, Bristol, UK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_18Yr0xYjmg)

Rock climbing & abseiling: Port Macqarie, Australia

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USEXaPRCBmk), Eldorado National Park

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USEXaPRCBmk),

Tightrope walking across a canyon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtAzMFcUQ90

Ride the Smokey Mountain Alpine Coaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37lZN6PqzmA,

or rollercoaster your way through the trees on The Beast at Kings Island:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJuhNpWMfdE (please note, the videos of coasters can

give you motion sickness)

Woodland and Park Walks and Runs

There are a number of videos available that you can either watch on laptop or smart device and feel like you are walking along the path as the camera moves through the landscape. For example:

Hiking in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Iceland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A5HY7hDeQA

Walking in the Woods, Grand Ridge Trail, Issaquah, USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq54xLahoiA

Autumn forest walk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=478TeAxm12g

Highbanks Woodland Trail – Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_K_EHDaSew

Grand Canyon Rim to River walk/run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLaLmEW0hWg

Trekking in Torres Del Paine (Chile & Patagonia): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCTY0Ll_KeY

You can also select your preferred woodland walk, run or bike ride with Google StreetView. For example:

The Belgian Coast (walk with streetview): https://www.belgiancoast.co.uk/en/inspiration/virtual-walks-along-coastal-walking-route-google-street-view

Soundscapes of Parks, Gardens and

Woodlands

As with the first instalment last week, there are lots of videos and recordings of the sounds of parks, gardens and woodlands available online which you can access through a range of different websites. Some examples are:

Forest birdsong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm846KdZN_c

Singing birds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7dYd-Ra8bk

15 different birds and birdsongs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHnzqKfxSQw

As with each week, have a search through the following links to find your own:

British Library Sounds: https://sounds.bl.uk/ (extensive library of different sounds of parks, gardens andwoodlands), shorter recordings)

Youtube - www.youtube.com (lots of different parks, gardens and woodlands sounds, often longer recordings)

Soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com (a range of different recordings of various lengths)

Spotify – www.spotify.com (a range of different recordings of various lengths)

Enjoy your virtual adventures!

Please note, in the current climate, the availability of virtual travel, leisure and recreation experiences is constantly changing with new opportunities emerging every day. What is provided here are some examples to start you off and it is no way even close to an exhaustive list. It is simply some prompts and suggestions. There are many other sites and organisations to explore.

Wishing everyone the very best in these times. Stay safe. Look out for each other.

Caroline Scarles, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.